Happy Halloween Jeff!

Jeff's favorite holiday of all time is Halloween.  He is such a big kid when it comes to all things scary and spooky.  He starts begging me to go into the big Halloween stores the second they make their appearance.  He makes me watch scary movies and adds scary ring tones to his phone.  I have been woken up more than once this month to a loud, dripping with scare voice saying...."Happy Halloween, you have a text message, ha ha ha."  He e-mails me links to scary glow in the dark contact lenses and realistic vampire teeth.  He takes twice as long to go grocery shopping because he spends forever looking down the Halloween isles at a store.  He does not like "corny" Halloween.  He would not be caught dead in a matchy, matchy costume like this...   

(Although this one makes me giggle like crazy...)

He wishes I would let him go trick or treating looking like this....

(Ewwwwww!)

One of my first up close and in person memories of Jeff is of eating at Denny's with my friend Courtney.  She talked me into going to hang out with these crazy friends of her's from the Drama club at NOVA.  They had just come from a haunted trail they were helping with for the county.  We walked into the restaurant and I almost ran away...it was scary.  There were 10 or so guys dressed up in Halloween make up that looked like the picture above.  Skeletons, zombies, and monsters...oh my!  Their skin was hanging, blood was dripping, eyeballs were hanging from sockets, and rib cages were exposed.  Jeff was wearing a trench coat and his face was falling off!  I knew at once he would be mine....oh yes! 

Happy Halloween Jeff!  Someday when our children are a bit older, 

and less likely to wake us up all night with nightmare, after nightmare, I promise to let you find your 

inner-demon again!

Thank You ENT

I feel so much better today.  Thanks to everyone who recommended that I should go see an ENT.  You are so smart!  The doctor gave me new drugs and did a probe up my nose that have drastically improved my sinus situation.  I woke up today being able to smell.  And my headache is gone.  It is a MIRACLE!!!! 

What's That?? Sorry I Can't Smell You.

I suspect everyone I know is sick and tired of hearing this but, I am sick.  I have been sick forever.  No joke.  It has been a month.  I have been to the doctor 3 times and have been on every medication known to man.  I have not been able to hear or smell or taste anything for 4 weeks.  So as you can imagine I am tired.  I am annoyed.  I am depressed.  I have no energy and pretty much just lay around the house all day.  The sun has forgotten my name.  I am not even sure if I remember how to drive.  I make Jeff do everything.  I think he is sick too.  Sick of me.

I am slowly turning into a giant slug (goopy mucus included.)  Can you picture it?  Yummy.  I feel pretty guilty that I am a turning into a slug.  Lots and lots of guilt.  It is almost impossible to be an effective mother when you cannot smell or hear or taste anything.  I cannot tell when Maddie is poopy.  I cannot taste the food I am cooking...too spicy, too salty, no flavor??  I keep thinking Elizabeth's voice is Dallin's voice so Dallin keeps getting in trouble when it is really Elizabeth being naughty.  I am not sure if my house is clean, because I cannot smell where Dallin left his stinky socks or where Maddie left her sippy cup of milk three days ago.  Madeline's snacks have consisted mostly of cheerio's because she can reach them and dump them out and eat them by the handful, no spoon required.  And I just let her do it, because I feel so relieved that I don't have to get up and make her something.  The thing I feel the most guilt about is that my kids brains are turning mushy because I have let them watch as much TV as they want.  Video games?  Yep those too.    

Yesterday I apologized to the kids for like the millionth time that I was still sick and Elizabeth told me that she "loves" it when I am sick.  "We get to do whatever we want."

Great.  That is just great.  Guilt.  Guilt.  Guilt. 

Too School for Cool

Elizabeth-4th Grade & Dallin-3rd Grade

Elizabeth was excited!

Dallin was nervous!

They could be twins, no???

Audrey-First Day of Kindergarten!

We love our neighbors!

Audrey is very proud of her "Hello Kitty" back-pack!

Bus Stop Kiddo's

Come on Irene!

The worst part is the waiting.  It seems like it has been coming at us all week.  

We are all prepped and have plenty of food and water... 

The kids are nervous, we are nervous.  But I have to say there is definitely an air of excitement that comes along with a huge crazy storm. 

Hopefully the kids will get to start school on Monday, but I am having serious doubts.

Wish us luck!

She's One of My Kind

My good friend Ethel is coming to visit me this month...in 10 days to be exact.  I am so excited!  Ethel is a special person to us here in the Rogers' home.  She is like that cool, hip aunt that your friend has that you are totally jealous of and wish you had!  I credit Ethel for convincing me to watch Dr. Who despite Jeff's years of trying.  AND teaching (or at least attempt to teach) me how to knit/sew/crochet/bead/put up wooden shingles/make roman shades/matte pictures/make beads/make jewelry/sculpt....uhhh I know I am forgetting a few.  She was the leader of our famous/infamous Craft Lady Club.   

It has been almost 2 years since she moved away and she has never met Maddie.  I get to pick her up on my birthday and I am looking forward to 10 days of Dr. Who watching, chocolate eating, jewelry making fun!  My kids and Jeff are just as excited!  They LOVE her too!  

I Spy July!

 Summer is rolling right along, isn't it?  We have surpassed the solstice and that means days start getting shorter.  I had a plan to not let summer sprint past me this year, but it seems I have no control!  

Our July birthday extravaganza is upon me and I have not even begun to plan.  For 6 months I have told Anna to stop bugging me about birthday planning:  "Your birthday is still 6 months away, 4 months away, 2 months away."  Uh oh, now time is up.  Audrey is going to be FIVE and Anna is going to be THIRTEEN!  Those are some big numbers and I want to do some fun parties. 

Anna would like to have a Harry Potter party with bunnies?  Say What???  And Audrey wants a Hello Kitty party.  Easier.

I thought this was a cute idea from Save The Date For Cupcakes.  I love the red and white...and grass!

Ummm...anyone have any great Harry Potter/Bunny ideas???  

On a different note Anna is at girls camp this week.  It is her first year.  I just can't believe she is old enough to go.  I hope she is having the time of her life.  We miss her!  She'll be home tomorrow.  I think I will have to make her a welcome home banner...maybe made to look something like...this??

 (I love the burlap look, and Anna LOVES birds...I think I could recreate this!)

I am excited for the 4th of July this year.  It is one of my favorite holidays!  It is even more exciting because Anna and I are going to see my niece Elise run in her national's competition for the Junior Olympics down in Hampton, Virginia.  Go Elise!  She is an amazing runner, we are so proud of her!  

We will be home Sunday night and Monday the whole family is headed for a day at the beach with some good friends, followed by fireworks in Ocean City!  

I hope everyone has a Happy 4th!!

P.S.  I have been eying this gorgeous wreathe for 2 days now that I saw on Polly Want a Crafter...I am in love.  I think I might have to try it!   

The Final Countdown

Only 3 half days left of school.  Here's hoping for an uneventful, relaxing summer.

HA!!  

Super Mom's Nemeses

These are nondiscriminatory: 

• Play-dough
• Unattended Box of Cereal
• LEGO's
• Permanent Markers
• Toothpaste
• Chocolate Ice Cream
• Barbie Shoes
• Match Box Cars
• Nail Polish
• Sand
• Toilet Paper
• Spaghetti
• Straws
• Lollipops

There are many things that make a mom's life difficult..but these take the cake.  Isn't it amazing how quickly pleasure becomes pain?

Warning

Sometimes I feel like my life needs a "security threat" color code system.  

 Today I am at LEVEL RED, EXTREME threat:

"Wow, Mom might explode."

"Mom has gone bonkers."

"Mom is on the war path."

"Did you know that mom's eyes could bulge like that?"

Yep, it's going to be one of those days.

Birthdayssss...

Our crazy birthday month has begun. Jeff's was the 6th, Elizabeth's the 14th and Dallin is the 24th. But first....

Emily turned 3 last month! She was sick, like she always is. But we had fun anyways and had a few friends come over to help celebrate.

She did not want to be born on Valentine's Day, (12:03am on the 15th) but I wanted her to have at least one Valentine Birthday! It was a "love bug" theme!

I love this picture! They were "flinging" bugs, to see whose would stick the longest on the window!

We love Emily for being such an individual. There is nothing you can say to make her change her mind. She is hilarious and smart and LOVES being a big sister Maddie. I think my favorite thing about Emily is her very, very deep voice that crackles when she sings.
(Imagine an old lady who smokes, for real!)

I cannot wait to watch her grow into this personality of hers!!!!

Jeff's Christmas Present

For a Christmas present, Kym and I sent Jeff and Marshall on a paintball excursion to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. It had a theme..."The Thing." This is how we surprised them with the gift...

I'm sure February seemed a long way off at Christmas but their "man-weekend" finally came! They had a blast!!!

A few more museum pics...

Natural History

Last weekend Jeff and I took a day trip to DC with the kids. We wanted to go to the Natural History Museum! It was so much fun...I had not been there in YEARS and the kids loved, loved, loved it!!!

My favorite thing to see at the Natural History Museum has always been the Hope Diamond!!

There was a really cool exhibit of a coral reef that was completely knitted and crocheted. It was AWESOME. It took 800 volunteers two weeks to complete. The volunteers would come and knit or crochet for 8 hour stretches...soooo cool!

Sick and Tired

The flu has reared it's ugly little head at our house. I definitely understand the saying "like a MAC truck hit me." Poor me.

Winter Blues

We have lived in Salisbury for almost 8 years now. I find that incredible. These past years have flown by. In the time that we have lived here we have moved 4 times. We have had three more children. I have an almost 13 year old who will be in eighth grade next year. I have a little boy who was five months old when we moved here and who now will be getting baptized in 2 months. Audrey will be in kindergarten next year and Maddie will be in nursery in 2 months. Time is fleeting but my blessings certainly are not. So, so many blessings.

I find it hard to imagine why I ever let myself feel down. Winter blues are for schmucks! January brings with it a sense of eagerness that I look forward to every year. A time to reflect and renew.

A lot of things have changed in the last few months. We moved again. As hard as it is to move it is also very liberating. I love getting a chance to start over, to sort, to throw away and to even find lost treasures!

We are renting again. We left the drug dealers and street walkers behind for nice normal folk! There was definitely a lot of charm living in a 100 year old house, but the scary, scary neighborhood kinda took that charm and threw it right out the window.

We are still in Salisbury. We are in the same ward. My children are in the same schools. (This move brought us back into our home school district, so they can ride the bus again...YAY!!).

The home is bigger and brighter, and not falling apart! There is no mold lurking behind old walls, and no flooded basements. We already feel healthier! In the week that we have lived here my kids have made neighborhood friends and have played outside without fear of witnessing any criminal activity.


We are hoping our other house(s) will sell. But I am not holding my breath. The recession and the down turn of the housing market really bit us in the butt. We are hoping to move forward and say goodbye to our mistakes and housing nightmares. I feel blessed that we were able to find a rental that so perfectly meets our needs and I feel doubly blessed that I am in a home that feels happy and secure.

I am not sure how long we will live here. Forever would be fine. But time will tell. There is a lot of decisions and plans to be made in the not to far away future and I am excited to see what course our lives will take.

Happy New Year!

2011 is going to rock!

Lightbulb!

I just remembered I have a blog. Cool.